Sunday, May 6, 2012

Settlement Provides Glimmer of Hope for Twins

CHATHAM, Va. -- The clock is ticking for Timothy and Joseph Dunkley, who are mentally disabled.

Joseph, left, and Timothy Dunkley.

The 23-year-old twins who live with their
grandparents have been on a waiting list for 12 years, hoping to receive
Medicaid waivers for funding so they can access what could become a
community-based services system for Virginia’s mentally and
developmentally disabled.

For now, they cannot afford to seek programs where
they could learn life skills like job training or money management. They
are aged out of school and soon to be too old for the Boy Scouts, in
which they participate once a week. They spend much of their time
watching TV and have little social interaction outside each other and
their grandparents.